Genesis 34:10

Posted on February 3, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 34:10 Et habitate nobiscum: terra in potestate vestra est, exercete, negotiamini, et possidete eam.

And live with us: the land is in your power; cultivate it, trade in it, and possess it.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Et and CONJ
2 habitate live / dwell 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
3 nobiscum with us ADV (PREP+PRON COMPOUND)
4 terra land / earth NOM.SG.F
5 in in PREP+ABL
6 potestate power / control ABL.SG.F
7 vestra your ABL.SG.F (ADJ)
8 est is 3SG.PRES.ACT.IND
9 exercete cultivate / work 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
10 negotiamini trade / do business 2PL.PRES.DEP.IMP
11 et and CONJ
12 possidete possess / occupy 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
13 eam it ACC.SG.F (PRON)

Syntax

Clause 1: Et habitate nobiscum — “And live with us.”
• Verb: habitate — 2nd person plural imperative, expressing invitation.
• Adverb/Prepositional Compound: nobiscum — contraction of cum nobis, “with us.”

Clause 2: terra in potestate vestra est — “the land is in your power.”
• Subject: terra — nominative, “the land.”
• Verb: est — present indicative of “sum.”
• Prepositional Phrase: in potestate vestra — ablative phrase denoting possession or control, “in your power.”

Clause 3: exercete, negotiamini, et possidete eam — “cultivate it, trade in it, and possess it.”
• Series of Imperatives: exercete (active), negotiamini (deponent), and possidete (active).
• Direct Object: eam — “it,” referring to the land.

Morphology

  1. Et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects imperatives; Translation: “and”; Notes: Marks continuity from the previous proposal.
  2. habitate — Lemma: habito; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: command or invitation; Translation: “live / dwell”; Notes: Imperative encouraging settlement among the Shechemites.
  3. nobiscum — Lemma: cum + nos; Part of Speech: prepositional compound; Form: adverbial phrase; Function: expresses accompaniment; Translation: “with us”; Notes: Contraction used for fluidity in speech.
  4. terra — Lemma: terra; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: subject; Translation: “land”; Notes: Refers to territory under Shechem’s jurisdiction.
  5. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governs ablative; Function: expresses state or condition; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks possession or control contextually.
  6. potestate — Lemma: potestas; Part of Speech: noun; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: object of “in”; Translation: “power / authority”; Notes: Refers to jurisdiction or control.
  7. vestra — Lemma: vester; Part of Speech: possessive adjective; Form: ablative singular feminine; Function: modifies “potestate”; Translation: “your”; Notes: Addresses Jacob’s sons collectively.
  8. est — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: verb; Form: present active indicative, 3rd singular; Function: copula; Translation: “is”; Notes: Links subject and predicate phrase.
  9. exercete — Lemma: exerceo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: direct command; Translation: “cultivate / till”; Notes: Refers to agricultural work.
  10. negotiamini — Lemma: negotior; Part of Speech: deponent verb; Form: 2nd person plural present imperative; Function: command; Translation: “trade / do business”; Notes: Deponent imperative encouraging commerce.
  11. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: connects series of commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins economic activities in the proposal.
  12. possidete — Lemma: possideo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: 2nd person plural present active imperative; Function: main verb of command; Translation: “possess / occupy”; Notes: Invites permanent settlement and ownership.
  13. eam — Lemma: is, ea, id; Part of Speech: pronoun; Form: accusative singular feminine; Function: direct object of “exercete,” “negotiamini,” and “possidete”; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers back to “terra.”

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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